Time is running out for NHRA drivers to establish their position in the Countdown to the Championship.
With two races to go before the six-race playoff stretch begins, several stars in the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories are putting in a late charge to claw their way higher up the ranks.
This weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) Int’l Raceway will signal the penultimate round of the regular season, setting the stage for the final round at the prestigious U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend.
Six Playoff Tickets Punched
Six drivers have preemptively secured their spot in the Countdown following last Sunday’s Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan.
In Top Fuel, points leader Justin Ashley was first to punch his ticket, while four-time Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence is also locked into a playoff position.
“This sport is about improvement and repetition. You want to be able to get quicker and faster, but also have a tune-up that is repeatable,” noted Ashley, who has visited the winner’s circle six times this year. “You can’t win races guessing.”
In Funny Car, points leader Matt Hagan, last year’s champion Ron Capps and three-time titlist Robert Hight are headed straight for the Countdown. Hagan leads the category with four victories this season.
“It was a good points weekend for us, being able to put a 61-point lead on (Ron) Capps,” Hagan said, following his runner-up finish at Heartland Motorsports Park. “We’ve been very consistent all year long and I think we’re going to continue that trend the rest of the year.”
In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn is the only driver to have landed a playoff berth. The KB Titan Racing driver has led the points since the Winternationals in March.
Knocking On The Door
With 10 playoff berths available in each category, the door to the playoffs is wide open for many drivers, while it’s begun to close on others.
Top Fuel
In Top Fuel, reigning champion Brittany Force, two-time titlist Antron Brown and Tony Stewart Racing’s Leah Pruett are comfortably settled in the top five. Of the three drivers, Force is the only one who has yet to win a race this year, as Brown and Pruett have each visited the winner’s circle once.
However, after a runner-up finish in Topeka last weekend, Force is optimistic about turning her season around.
“We really stepped it up on race day (in Topeka), ran killer all day long, went to the finals and I was strong on the tree,” Force said. “We’re inching closer and closer. We are so close to that first win.”
Austin Prock, Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas make up the mid-pack, while Josh Hart and Clay Millican are closest to the cutline at ninth and 10th in points.
Both drivers have had hit-or-miss seasons. Hart’s year has been highlighted by a runner-up and three semifinals finishes, while Millican has won twice and made nine first-round exits.
The Rick Ware Racing dragster driver will need to stay ahead of Shawn Langdon (11th) and Tony Schumacher (12th) in order to keep his playoff berth. Millican has a 60-point gap over Langdon.
Funny Car
In Funny Car, the drivers ranked third through sixth in the standings are within 32 points of each other — the list includes Hight, Chad Green, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria.
Green is hoping to make the Countdown for the first time in his career, while Tasca continues to make a steady climb up the ranks. He recently moved from seventh to fifth with his recent triumph at the Menards NHRA Nationals.
“This team, there’s a different attitude from anything I’ve been around,” Tasca said. “My goal going into Brainerd and Indy, and then leaving Indy, is to be in the top five. If you do that, you’ve got a good chance to win the championship. This car can go into any race and win and I don’t know if I’ve ever been able to say that before.”
Tim Wilkerson and J.R. Todd are holding strong at seventh and eighth in points.
As for the drivers near the cutline, 16-time champion John Force and two-time titlist Cruz Pedregon occupy the final two transfer spots. Funny Car drivers Blake Alexander and Alex Laughlin are on the outside looking in, with Alexander 66 points behind Pedregon.
Pro Stock
In Pro Stock, Matt Hartford, Troy Coughlin Jr., Deric Kramer and Erica Enders hold the top five positions, behind points leader Glenn.
After struggling to make it past the quarterfinals early in the season, five-time Pro Stock champion Enders has finally begun to make some noise. The Elite Motorsports driver has now won two races, including the most recent national event at Heartland Motorsports Park.
“As in most sports, momentum is huge and we are riding the wave from our win in Topeka. We went toe to toe with some of our toughest competitors and were able to come out on top,” Enders said. “As the regular season winds down, these round points are crucial.”
Another five-time Pro Stock champion — sixth-place Greg Anderson — has been a bit of a sleeper this season.
He made his first final round appearance of the season last Sunday at Topkea, going head-to-head with Enders and finishing runner-up. If he holds his position, this year would mark Anderson’s 15th playoff appearance.
Aaron Stanfield and last year’s rookie-of-the-year Camrie Caruso are behind Anderson.
Moving further down the line, Cristian Cuadra and Kyle Koretsky are hovering near the cutoff, while Bo Butner III and Jerry Tucker hunt down a playoff berth from 11th and 12th, respectively.
“It’s going to take a lot of focus to keep our top 10 position through the next two events but I know we can do it,” Cuadra said. “This is a great crew and we’ve got a fast hot rod.”